People have been entertained by stories since ancient times, and Charlie Bethel reaches back that far for his latest one-man show, a re-telling of "The Odyssey" directed by Michael Carleton.

Homer's epic poem, thought to have been written in the 8th century BC, tells the tale of Odysseus' 10-year journey home to his "sweet Ithaca," where his wife and son await him. Along the way, Odysseus and his crew meet gods and monsters of all sorts.

Bethel, vaguely resembling an archaeologist, is given a lot of support by a range of nifty sound effects designed by Michael Carleton and an extraordinarily detailed set by Robbin Watts.

Bethel, who previously adapted "Beowulf" as a one-man show, uses contemporary language, which often has the desired comic results — brigands pillage " 'cause that's how they roll," Bethel explains. Occasionally, though, the modern phrasing is too banal for the heightened theatricality: It feels wrong when the supposedly terrifying Cyclops merely asks the travelers, "Who are you guys, and where are you from?"

The encounter with Cyclops gets a large chunk of time and leads to this piece of good advice: "Don't anger a Cyclops — especially if his father is Poseidon, god of the sea, and you have a long voyage ahead."

Bethel has a winning way with lines such as that; his face crinkles and a smile flits across his face to reassure the audience it's OK to laugh.

But he's also able to summon the darker feelings that come with such a tale of adventure: His voice shakes as he describes how ogres smashed Odysseus' fleet, and cracks when he details the death of Odysseus' faithful dog, Argos.

At times, the crackling connection with the audience slips as Bethel's eyes repeatedly flick toward the notes he's carrying. But he soon wins them back, in part through repetition of key phrases — "the wine-dark sea," "the rosy-fingered dawn."